The top-level domain (TLD) is the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System (DNS) of the internet. The TLD in the web address (also known as a URL) is the last part after the last dot, for example, in www.example.com, “.com” is the TLD.
As for ‘Netflix,’ it does not represent a TLD but is a second-level domain under the .com TLD. In the web address www.netflix.com, ‘netflix’ is the second level domain, and ‘.com’ is the top-level domain. Registrars manage these domains, in Netflix’s case, ‘Netflix, Inc,’ according to WHOIS data.
Consequently, given that ‘Netflix’ is the second-level domain on the ‘.com’ top-level domain, no technical description of ‘Netflix’ as a top-level domain exists because it is not a TLD. Rather, the technical description would apply to ‘.com’, which Netflix utilizes.
The ‘.com’ TLD is one of the original TLDs established in January 1985. It initially was intended for use by commercial entities (thus the name, ‘com’), but now it has no restrictions and can be registered by anyone for any purpose. As of now, ‘.com’ is the most popular and widely used TLD, accounting for most of registrations worldwide.
The body that oversees these TLDs is called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and the commercial TLDs like ‘.com’ are looked after by a US company called Verisign.
In the process of structuring the Domain Name System, each domain name under a TLD must be unique. For clarity, there cannot be two ‘Netflix’ under the ‘.com’ TLD, i.e., there can only be one ‘www.netflix.com.’ However, ‘Netflix’ can be a second-level domain under other TLDs, for instance, ‘Netflix.org’ or ‘Netflix.net’, if they are not already taken, respectively.
Sources:
- ICANN (2022). Beginners Guide To Domains. ICANN. https://learn.icann.org/course/view.php?id=12
- Whois, Netflix (2022). Netflix.com WHOIS domain registration information from Network Solutions. Whois. https://www.whois.com/whois/netflix.com
- Verisign (2022). The Domain Name System. Verisign. https://www.verisign.com/en\_US/channel-resources/domain-registry-products/learn/how-dns-works/index.xhtml
- Zook, N., Zhang, X., & Marantz, A. (2019). Domain Name System (DNS) Security. National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.1800-6.pdf
